Dr. Carol Gluck’s Lecture at the Kuraray Head Office

The theme of Dr. Gluck’s talk was inspired by concerns she has both as an individual and as a historian. She raised questions about the era in which we live, not only for herself but also for Kuraray employees attending the event. In response to her inquiry “What do we call the age we live in now?,” the audience offered various responses ranging from “the Reiwa era,” to “the modern age” and “the twenty-first century.”

Dr. Gluck noted that Japanese of the Meiji era (1868–1912) had a strong sense of living in a new age following the end of the Edo period (1603–1868), and aspired to transform Japan into a “civilized country.” She argued that, in contrast to that transitional period in the late nineteenth century, people living in today’s rapidly changing times lack a sense of where their country is heading. She added that the current era is one of ambiguity and uncertainty that seems to have no end in sight. She also discussed five key challenges—world order, the economy, politics, society, and the planet as a whole—to the current era, which she referred to as a “nameless age” waiting to be described. She concluded her lecture by her exploring potential actions she can take, both as a historian and as an individual living in the modern era, that can impact the future.

In the Q&A session following the lecture, participants asked several questions. Examples include how historians select valuable information or information to preserve for future generations, and the advantages and potential that Japan can leverage in international society going forward. Dr. Gluck answered each question squarely, citing examples in her responses.

Text: OHBA Go, Research Fellow, the Center for Innovative Research, the National Institutes for the Humanities